26 August 2017: Romesco Sauce

Deborah Madison’s newest cookbook, In my kitchen is full of terrific vegetarian (and vegan) recipes. I’ve been a Deborah Madison cooking fan since Vegetarian cooking for everyone, and this book is, in my opinion, a great follow-up.

Sadly, I had never heard of Romesco sauce until this cookbook and a roasted cauliflower recipe calling for it. As Deborah Madison explains in her notes, this sauce is versatile and can be used for everything from roasted potatoes and leeks to garlic rubbed toast. In the years since Deborah first created this recipe, her preparations have changed from using fresh tomatoes and a mix of hazelnuts and almonds.

Ingredients

1 slice country-style white bread

Olive oil to fry the bread

Sea salt

1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skins rubbed off as much as easily possible

3 garlic cloves

1 1/2 tsp group red chile OR red pepper flakes

1 TBSP tomato paste (or a bit more for tasting adjustment)

1 TBSP chopped parsley

1 tsp regular or smoked paprika

2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded (could use jarred)*

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1/2 cup best olive oil

Method

Fry the bread in olive oil until golden and crisp. When cool, grind it with the hazelnuts and garlic in a food processor until fairly fine.

With the machine running, gradually pour in the vinegar and then the olive oil.

Taste and make sure the sauce has plenty of piquancy and enough salt. If you feel it needs a little more tomato paste, add it no more than a teaspoon at a time.

* Here’s where Amy is telling you not wuss out on the roasted red peppers because roasting them in an oven is a snap. Here’s how: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Now clean and cut the peppers away from the stem and seeds (here’s a video from Serious Eats to show you how). I usually wipe the insides and the skin side with olive oil. Cook skin sides down for 25 minutes. The outsides should have a nice char to it. Cool them and use. Way better than that vinegar-y bottled stuff that passes for roasted red peppers.